DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ U.S. bans imports from China-based Ninestar Corp over Uyghurs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 9 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday banned imports from China-based printer maker Ninestar Corp (002180.SZ) and a chemical company over alleged human rights abuses in China, according to a post for the Federal Register. DHS said the actions were taken as part of the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), which was signed into law in December 2021. The act prohibits imports into the U.S. that are either produced in Xinjiang or by companies identified on an UFLPA Entity List, unless the importer can prove the goods were not produced with forced labor. “The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force will continue to hold companies accountable for perpetuating human rights violations in Xinjiang,” DHS Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers, who chairs the task force, said in a statement. Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Doina Chiacu, Sharon Singleton and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ninestar, Robert Silvers, Karen Freifeld, Doina Chiacu, Sharon Singleton, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Ninestar, Federal Register, Zhongtai Chemical Co, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Uyghur, Labor, Task Force, Thomson Locations: United States, China, China's, Xinjiang, U.S, Zhuhai

Trump had sought to prevent top aides, including his then-Vice President Mike Pence, from testifying in that probe being weighed by a separate D.C. grand jury. Pence appeared before the grand jury in April after Trump lost his legal challenge. Trump repeatedly lambasted Pence before the attack for refusing to try to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties. NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CIVIL LAWSUITNew York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization, last September for fraud.

Persons: Donald Trump, General Merrick Garland, Jack Smith, Trump, Trump's, Mike Pence, Pence, Joe Biden’s, Fani Willis, Brad Raffensperger, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Cohen, reimbursing Cohen, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Letitia James, James, Joseph Ax, Luc Cohen, Karen Freifeld, Sarah N, Lynch, Jonathan Stempel, Jacqueline Thomsen, Susan Heavey, Noeleen Walder, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, CAPITOL, U.S, Capitol, Justice Department, Trump, Democrat, Republican Georgia, U.S . Constitution, Trump's, Prosecutors, CNN, GENERAL, New York, Trump Organization, The Securities, Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Thomson Locations: United States, GEORGIA, Fulton County, Georgia, U.S ., New York, Manhattan

The motion also noted that the judge encouraged a former Trump Organization executive to cooperate during a prior case, calling that a preconceived bias against Trump. It is proceeding in state court ahead of a decision. The Trump Organization was not successful in getting him to step aside in the tax-fraud case. Trump's lawyers say the judge pushed former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to cooperate during plea negotiations in last year's tax fraud case against him and the company. The Trump Organization was found guilty of tax fraud and fined $1.6 million.

Persons: Donald Trump, Justice Juan Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Read, Trump's, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Trump, Robert Tembeckjian, Daniels, Stephanie Clifford, Lucian Chalfen, Loren, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Karen Freifeld, Luc Cohen, Andy Sullivan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Justice, New, Trump Organization, Trump, Democratic, Biden, Judicial, Manhattan District Attorney, Authentic, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, New York, Merchan

☆ US seeks to curb investment in Chinese chips, AI and quantum computing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - New rules under consideration would restrict the flow of U.S. investments and know-how into Chinese companies working on advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, a U.S. Treasury official said on Wednesday. Reuters reported in February that the Biden administration plans to ban investments in some Chinese technology companies and increase scrutiny of others, three sources said, as part of its plan to crack down on the billions that American firms have poured into sensitive Chinese sectors. China hawks in Washington blame U.S. investors for transferring capital and valuable know-how to Chinese tech companies that could help advance Beijing's military. Separately, Republican Senator Bill Hagerty asked about efforts to restrict the supply of U.S. origin goods to Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. Reporting by David Shepardson and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington, and Karen Freifeld in New York; Writing by Chris Sanders; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Rosen, Biden, Bill Hagerty, Thea Rozman Kendler, Kendler, David Shepardson, Daphne Psaledakis, Karen Freifeld, Chris Sanders, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Treasury, Reuters, Republican, Huawei, Exports, Commerce, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Washington, New York

☆ US clamps down on sensitive export requests to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 700 Chinese parties are subject to the government's export controls on what is known as the "Entity List," Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod said in written testimony. The goal is to counter China's "military modernization, human rights abuses, and other activities contrary to our national security and foreign policy interests," he said. The hearing is titled "Countering China: Advancing U.S. National Security, Economic Security, and Foreign Policy". The administration's plans to restrict certain U.S. outbound investments in specific sensitive technologies are still under discussion, said testimony from Treasury Department official Paul Rosen. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in March the Biden administration was considering a pilot program to address risks about investment in China.

Persons: Beijing's, Thea Rozman Kendler, Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod, Biden, Paul Rosen, Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, David Shepardson, Karen Freifeld, Chris Reese, Sonali Paul Organizations: U.S, Commerce, Export Enforcement, . National Security, Economic Security, Treasury Department, Thomson Locations: China

☆ From sunglasses to milking machines, US halts more exports to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"You can't even ship contact lenses or sunglasses now," said Washington lawyer Kevin Wolf, a former Commerce official, as he reviewed the new rules. Wolf said "it would be simpler to describe the items that are not controlled for export to Russia." The targeted companies include aircraft repair and parts production plants, gunpowder, tractor and automobile factories, shipyards and engineering centers in Russia. The U.S. and a coalition of 37 other countries have imposed unprecedented export controls on Russia since its assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Last week, U.S. authorities arrested two Russian men living in Florida for allegedly sending U.S. airplane parts and components to Russian airlines in violation of export controls.

The department scheduled a press conference for 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) to make an announcement regarding the strike force's work but did not provide details. 2 official, said in February that the new group was a joint effort with the U.S. Commerce Department to safeguard American technology from foreign adversaries and other national security threats. Monaco said at the time that the United States would "strike back against adversaries trying to siphon off our most advanced technology, and to attack tomorrow's national security threats today." The strike force includes 14 U.S. attorney offices across the country working to target illicit actors, strengthen supply chains and protect sensitive technologies from being acquired or used by foreign adversaries. The Justice Department in recent years has increased its focus on bringing criminal cases to protect corporate intellectual property, U.S. supply chains and private data about Americans from foreign adversaries, either through cyber attacks, theft or sanctions evasion.

[1/3] An American flag waves outside the U.S. Department of Justice Building in Washington, U.S., December 15, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it has charged a former Apple Inc (AAPL.O) engineer with attempting to steal the firm's technology related to autonomous systems, including self-driving cars, and then fleeing to China. Two of the cases involved what Justice Department officials called procurement networks created to help Russia's military and intelligence services obtain sensitive technology. The former Apple engineer, identified as 35-year-old Weibao Wang, formerly resided in Mountain View, California, and was hired by Apple in 2016, according to an April indictment unsealed on Tuesday. After his last day at Apple, the company discovered that he had accessed large amounts of proprietary data in the days before his departure, the Justice Department said.

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - A former associate of Rudy Giuliani is suing him for sexual assault and other wrongdoing, accusing Donald Trump's former personal lawyer of hiring her to fulfill his desire for a sexual relationship. Through this case, Ms. Dunphy seeks a measure of justice from a man who thought his power and connections rendered him untouchable." The lawsuit seeks at least $10 million in damages from Giuliani and three of his namesake companies. Dunphy had filed a related "summons with notice" against Giuliani in January, seeking $3.1 million. The case is Dunphy v Giuliani et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No.

NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative George Santos on Wednesday vowed to fight charges of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds in the latest hit to the newly elected Republican, who has resisted calls to resign for lying about his resume. "I'm going to fight my battle. I'm going to deliver. I'm going to fight the witch hunt. Santos was released on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court for his next appearance on June 30.

A 13-count federal indictment charges Santos, 34, with defrauding prospective political supporters by laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses and illegally receiving unemployment benefits while he was employed. It also accuses him of making false statements to the House of Representatives about his assets, income and liabilities. Santos was released on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court for his next appearance on June 30. Nine House Republicans have so far called on Santos to resign, including six from his home state of New York. Among other claims, Santos said he had degrees from New York University and Baruch College despite neither institution's having any record of his attending.

NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative George Santos was arrested on Wednesday on federal charges of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds in the latest hit to the newly elected Republican, who has resisted calls to resign for lying about his resume. The 13-count indictment, unsealed on Wednesday, charges Santos, 34, with defrauding prospective political supporters by laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses and illegally receiving unemployment benefits while he was employed. He is also accused of making false statements to the House of Representatives about his assets, income and liabilities. Nine House Republicans have so far called on Santos to resign, including six from his home state of New York. Among other claims, Santos said he had degrees from New York University and Baruch College despite neither institution's having any record of his attending.

☆ US Rep. Santos charged with fraud, money laundering -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ US Rep. Santos charged with fraud, money laundering -DOJ statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Representative George Santos, who has resisted calls to resign for lying about his resume, was charged with fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds, the Justice Department said in a statement on Wednesday. He was expected to appear later in the day at a federal court in New York. An Associated Press reporter who reached him by phone Tuesday quoted Santos as saying: "This is news to me. Among other claims, Santos said he had degrees from New York University and Baruch College, despite neither institution's having any record of his attending. Santos, who identifies as gay, also failed to disclose that he was married to a woman for several years ending in 2019.

☆ Factbox: An overview of Donald Trump’s legal troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Trump denies the allegations and the affair but has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for his payment to Daniels. Trump's reimbursement checks for the suppression payment falsely stated that the money was for a "retainer agreement," prosecutors said. Prosecutors say Trump falsified records in part to cover up the fact that the payment to Daniels exceeded federal campaign contribution limits. U.S. CAPITOL ATTACKThe U.S. Justice Department has an investigation under way into Trump's actions after he lost the 2020 election. NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CIVIL LAWSUITNew York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and his Trump Organization last September for fraud.

May 9 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen asked a court to throw out the former U.S. president's $500 million lawsuit against him, calling it an "abusive act of pure retaliation and witness intimidation." Cohen made the payment on Trump's behalf, and is expected to be a key witness against Trump if the case goes to trial. Cohen served part of a three-year prison term after pleading guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations and tax evasion. Trump's lawsuit accused Cohen of violating rules governing lawyers' conduct by revealing his "confidences" and "spreading falsehoods" in books, podcasts and media appearances. It also said that Cohen damaged Trump's reputation by calling him "racist," and making up conversations.

☆ Trump lawyers, prosecutors in court to argue over whether he can discuss evidence in hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Karen Freifeld | Us Senate Confirms Ex-Prosecutors To New Jersey Federal Court | Jacqueline Thomsen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Lawyers for Donald Trump will square off with prosecutors in a New York courtroom on Thursday over whether the former president should be restricted from discussing evidence in the criminal case against him over a hush money payment to a porn star. Prosecutors are seeking a court order that would stop Trump from publicly disclosing evidence they turn over to him to prepare his defense. Given Trump's history of attacks via social media, they said it is needed to reduce the risk of harassment against witnesses and others in the case. They said prosecutors and witnesses have attacked Trump as well. Reporting by Karen Freifeld; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

May 1 (Reuters) - Donald Trump should be able to talk about the evidence in the criminal case against him over a hush payment to a porn star, especially with others free to do so, his lawyers said in a court filing on Monday. The Manhattan district attorney wants to bar Trump from disclosing the material on news or social media platforms without court approval. Prosecutors last week asked for a court order restricting Trump's use of the evidence because of his attacks on people involved in proceedings against him. They said they wanted to reduce the risk of harassment to witnesses and other participants in the case. "Trump cannot be the only interested party in this case whose speech about the evidence in the case is restricted by the court," the lawyers, Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche, wrote.

☆ Michael Cohen seeks damages from Trump, U.S. over prison return
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that the judiciary has a responsibility to remediate the harm done by Trump and his subordinates. Liman said that while his decision did "violence" to Cohen's constitutional rights, Cohen was not entitled to damages under U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Michael Cohen, former attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives to the New York Courthouse in New York City, U.S., March 13, 2023. Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr and various prison officials are also defendants in Cohen's lawsuit. He is also suing Cohen for $500 million in damages in federal court in Miami, accusing him of "spreading falsehoods" and failing to keep attorney-client communications confidential.

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Trump Tower to give a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James who sued Trump and his Trump Organization, in New York City, U.S., April 13, 2023. Former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz will testify May 12, a spokesperson for the chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said. The committee subpoenaed him in connection with the probe that led to Trump becoming the first ex-president to be criminally charged. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the committee, to block the subpoena. Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential nominating campaign, pleaded not guilty on April 4 to 34 felony charges.

April 19 Reuters) - Seagate Technology Holdings (STX.O) has agreed to pay a $300 million penalty in a settlement with U.S. authorities for shipping over $1.1 billion worth of hard disk drives to China's Huawei in violation of U.S. export control laws, the U.S. Department of Commerce said on Wednesday. Seagate sold the drives to Huawei between August 2020 and September 2021 despite an August 2020 rule that restricted sales of certain foreign items made with U.S. technology to the company. Seagate shipped 7.4 million drives to Huawei for about a year after the 2020 rule took effect and became Huawei's sole supplier of hard drives, the Commerce Department said. The other two primary suppliers of hard drives ceased shipments to Huawei after the new rule took effect in 2020, the department said. Even after "its competitors had stopped selling to them ... Seagate continued sending hard disk drives to Huawei," Matthew Axelrod, the Commerce Department's assistant secretary for export enforcement said in a statement.

Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, is expected to head to New York Attorney General Letitia James' offices in lower Manhattan, where he will be asked about his business practices. Thursday's deposition could be used to try to discredit any testimony Trump may give at trial, or be offered as testimony if he is unavailable to appear. It is not the first time Trump is facing the New York attorney general. Under questioning in August, before the case was filed, Trump invoked his right against self-incrimination under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment more than 400 times. Legal experts say the attorney general is also entitled to a deposition after the filing of the lawsuit.

Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Cohen, called Trump's lawsuit "frivolous." "Mr. Trump is once again using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation against Michael Cohen," Davis said. Trump's lawsuit said Cohen wrongfully called Trump "racist" in the disbarred lawyer's 2020 book, entitled "Disloyal," and fabricated conversations with Trump from when he served as his attorney. Once known for intense loyalty to Trump, Cohen has become a harsh critic and has assisted law enforcement agencies and lawmakers investigating his former boss. Trump filed a suit against James seeking to halt her civil case, but a judge dismissed it, writing that there was "no evidence" that the investigation was undertaken in bad faith.

April 12 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer Michael Cohen for more than $500 million, according to a filing in federal court in Florida on Wednesday. The lawsuit accuses Cohen of violating his attorney-client relationship with Trump by revealing his "confidences" and "spreading falsehoods" in books, podcasts and media appearances. It says Cohen wrongfully called Trump "racist" in his 2020 book, "Disloyal," and fabricated conversations with Trump. Cohen was a top executive at Trump's real estate company and then worked as his personal lawyer when Trump assumed office in 2017. Cohen in 2018 pleaded guilty to violating federal election law through the $130,000 payment to the porn star, Stormy Daniels.

☆ Trump, newly charged, urges defunding US Justice Department and FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Rami Ayyub | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But Trump faces two Justice Department criminal investigations led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. "REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS SHOULD DEFUND THE DOJ AND FBI UNTIL THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES," Trump wrote on his social media platform. The FBI, part of the Justice Department, is the U.S. domestic intelligence and security agency. Trump backed spending increases for the Justice Department while serving as president from 2017 to 2021. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Search resuls for: "Karen Freifeld"

25 mentions found